1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device cooperation system in which plural devices connected via a network take partial charge of providing functions of the devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a processing format referred to as device cooperation, by which plural devices connected in a network cooperate with each other to execute a single job. Device cooperation means that plural devices take partial charge of providing functions necessary for a single job constituted by a series of processes starting from input to output.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of executing a job by device cooperation. An MFP (multifunction peripheral) 1 and an MFP 2 are connected to each other via a network. The MFP 1 does not have a fax function, but the MFP 2 has a fax function. A user Q wants to transmit image data by fax, but because the MFP 1 does not have a fax function, the user Q uses the MFP 1 to scan an original document by the scanner function, and use the fax function of the MFP 2 to transmit the image data by fax.
FIG. 2 illustrates another example of executing a job by device cooperation. Both the MFP 1 and the MFP 2 have a printing function. The user Q wants to print out plural copies of the image data. The printing operation can be done with only the MFP 1; however, by having the MFP 2 take partial charge of the printing operation, the printing operation can be completed quickly. The user Q may operate the MFP 1 to scan the original document with the scanning function, and transmit the image data and print conditions to the MFP 2, so that the printing operation is shared by the MFP1 and the MFP 2.
Incidentally, MFPs are shared by many users in offices. For this reason, conventionally, there are MFPs having a function of setting the upper limit frequency (upper limit usage amount) of copying and printing for each user, so that a particular person does not use the copying and printing functions unlimitedly (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent document 1 discloses the following service execution device. The service execution device transmits, to a server, a usage request for authentication information and a usage request of a scheduled number of sheets to be used. When the scheduled number of sheets to be used requested to the server is less than or equal the number of sheets that the user can use, the service execution device executes a job based on user instructions with the scheduled number of sheets to be used set as the upper limit.
However, in patent document 1, it is not considered how to limit the usage amount for devices capable of device cooperation. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, it is not considered whether the MFP 1 operated by the user Q limits the usage amount or whether the MFP 2 providing the fax function limits the usage amount. In the example of FIG. 2, both the MFP 1 and the MFP 2 perform printing, and therefore even if the usage amount of the MFP 1 operated by the user Q can managed, the usage amount of the MFP 2 cannot be managed.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-074431